Darkroom Tip: Stand Development: Patience in a Jar

Dilute Rodinal to 1+100, agitate gently for the first minute, then walk away for an hour (a brief turn at 30 minutes hedges against streaking). The developer exhausts itself in the dense highlight areas while continuing to work in the shadows — a compensating effect that tames contrasty scenes and forgives wild exposure errors, which is why it's a favorite for mystery rolls found in old cameras.

The risk is bromide drag: streaks flowing from the sprocket holes when agitation is too minimal. That mid-session turn is your insurance.

Sharp grain, gentle highlights, an hour of freedom — and your total developer cost is about 3ml.